We turn to the epistle to the Hebrews in the thirteenth chapter for our reading from God's Word. Hebrews chapter 13 and reading from verse 7 to the end of verse 21. Hebrews 13 verses 7 through 21. Let us hear the word of God. Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods which are of no value to those who eat them. We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat. The high priest carries the blood of animals into the most holy place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us then go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them, so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. I particularly urge you to pray, so that I may be restored to you soon. May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, And may He work in us what is pleasing to Him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. So far the reading of God's Word. It is to the eighth verse that I want to draw your attention this morning. It reads, in both, I think, the New International Version, which you have before you, the English Standard Version, Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. A brief text, but a big one. Few words, but vast content. And its main point and message is quite clear. Jesus Christ does not change. He remains the same. This verse not only states that, but it asserts it. It's probably well known to you. easy to remember, and deserves to be memorized, so that we may, on occasion, recall it. Those circumstances in which we need to know the comfort of Christ's companionship can be addressed by these words. But they're not only a source of consolation, they're found in what is a sermon. What the author of this letter calls a word of exhortation. And exhortation refers to action, responsive action. Not settling back in a recliner, but getting up on our feet and dealing with whatever it is that threatens. And so we need to look at these words, this assertion, in relation to its original context. Because the writer was saying something to those he addressed. Not primarily, and therefore not merely to us. Our eyes fasten on the word forever, just as on the words Jesus Christ at the beginning of the text. And we omit very often what's in between those perplexing words, yesterday and today. And it isn't inappropriate, of course, for us to remind ourselves that Jesus Christ remains the same forever. But that wasn't all that the writer said. He used the words yesterday and today as well. And so we oughtn't to look merely at this statement from our place in time. We ought to look at it in its original place in time. Why did the writer express himself in that way? Now perhaps our English translations could be more helpful at this point. They might set us on the wrong track in our thinking. Because what they all do, from the King James Version on, I'm starting to say the Welsh translation and perhaps the Dutch, I don't know, you'll check up I'm sure, is to connect these three words, yesterday, today and forever, as if they follow each other immediately in what the writer conveyed. actuality. What he wrote was not yesterday, today, and forever. The word forever is disconnected or distanced in the text from the words yesterday and today. And we need to go back beyond The King James Version to the Geneva Bible, what I think is an infinitely better translation. That reads, Jesus Christ yesterday and today, the same is also forever. Jesus Christ yesterday and today, the same is also forever. Now, granted, that's somewhat disjointed, but it's accurate. And it's not only accurate, it's truer to the emphasis, the focus of this statement. What he wanted to say to these people was that in their yesterday, and in their today, Jesus Christ was the same. And then, as a gloriously inspired afterthought. And he is also the same forever. And that's where you and I come in, of course. What could he have meant by saying, Jesus Christ yesterday and today? Well, the immediate context, I believe, helps us considerably in this. It settles for us the meaning of these two words, yesterday and today. Because in the previous verse, the writer has been referring to a yesterday and to a today. Though he doesn't use those terms, I grant you. Look at verse 7. Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. That's a yesterday. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. That's a today. Verse 7 contains a yesterday and a today. The yesterday, the era of their leaders. The era of their founding fathers who have departed. Today, the era of those addressed. The era of their followers. And what he's saying to them is this. Jesus Christ was Jesus Christ to your leaders yesterday. Make Him yours today. And He will be Jesus Christ on every tomorrow. And to an endless forever to the people of God. So let's think about this statement concerning a changeless Christ. First of all, in relation to change in the church, because that's what had happened. The church of the Lord Jesus Christ is not only set up in time, it continues through time. And according to his promise and gracious working, it continues from one generation to another. And now and again and sometimes rapidly and surprisingly, multitudes are gathered from outside the covenant people of God. And the promise goes on through their generations too. And in that church the Lord raises up leaders whose significance is notable and immense. Jesus calls them by his Spirit and gives the church wisdom and authority to recognize them. And they all promote the church's maturity. They provide stability. They promote growth. We can all think of some, can't we? Probably names are already coming into our minds of those who through the long history of the church, the countries from which we've come in this country, that is what has happened. And their memory is blessed. And being dead, they still speak like Abel. Now these Hebrews had had notable leaders. They're referred to earlier in the epistle. They were those who heard the Lord. Hebrews 2 verse 3. The message of such a great salvation was declared at first by the Lord. And then we read this. It was attested to us by those who heard. while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will. They'd heard and they proclaimed. And they proclaimed what the Lord Himself had proclaimed. And just as God had borne witness to His incarnate Son, So he bore confirming witness to his word proclaimed by their leaders. And the church had come into being. But now those notable leaders had passed on to their rest and reward. And they had done so as they lived. Consider the outcome, means the end of their life. Imitate their faith, like all those named and unnamed. In Hebrews chapter 11, so there had been these leaders who had believed, who had proclaimed, who had maintained to their dying breath, Jesus Christ. And now, the next generation had arisen. Some leaders had followed in their place. We read that later in the 13th chapter. But this was the second generation. And while that is an indication of promise fulfilled, It's also an indicator of danger-threatening. Time and again we read in the Old Testament of a generation arising that did not know. In spite of the fact that they had been taught and should have known. And we can all, from our personal histories and from our knowledge of churches in various places, we can remind ourselves that it isn't only steady progress from one generation to another, but at times there are setbacks. The church has its dark faces, its dark ages. It needs again to reappropriate as at the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century the original truth and message and deposit. We need such a reformation today. This epistle was written to those who were in such danger. The writer can say to them, when for the time you ought to have become teachers, the time that had elapsed between their reception of the gospel in faith and the time when he was writing and they were receiving the letter, when for the time you ought to have become teachers, you have need that one teach you again. What are the first principles of the oracles of God? And associated with that regression instead of progress, associated with that spiritual second childhood, was the danger that they were finding that Judaism, which had long captured their attention, becoming fascinating again, in spite of the fact that they professed to see the emptiness of it. It was a time of great change, therefore, in the church addressed. And that is why he says, whose faith follow. Not just remember them, not just remember what they said, not just remember how they lived, not just how they died, but follow. Believe, obey, maintain the truth, proclaim it, adorn it. In a time of change in the church, Jesus Christ's changelessness has to be called to mind. That is part at least of what this inspired writer was saying. But it was also a time of challenge for the church. Not just change, but challenge. Look at how this statement, look at what immediately follows this statement. Hebrews 13 verse 9. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings. There's another religion pressing in on them, attracting them, calling their attention. requiring their participation and their involvement you see the church not only is set up in time it not only continues through time but it is always hemmed in by of the world it's not of the world the church's one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord from heaven he came and sought her the church is made up of that assembly of those who are called out from this world and every kindred, tribe and tongue of nation in this gospel era but wherever you find the church you find the world around it and at times not merely around it as the New Testament epistles themselves indicate present in it potent in it to the church is harm and to the dishonor of the glory of her head and so it isn't just that time is passing it isn't just that generations come and go there are those whom we remember who are no longer with us also There is this potent threat that is threatening to strangle the faith and the life that results from the faith. We're living in this age of religious correctness, in which it's becoming more and more incumbent on us to recognize not merely the existence of other faiths, not merely to recognize the liberty and the responsibility of those who are adherents and devotees of these other faiths. But it's being required of us that we should recognize that their faith is as valid and true as ours is, at least. And perhaps even more valid and more true because look at the way in which they're growing. And look at the way in which the church is declining. Immense pressure can be put on us. It was being put on these Hebrew Christians. I don't think that we can form an accurate estimate of what an immense step it was for these to turn their backs on the faith of their nation's fathers, their own families, And turn their backs on Judaism, on temple, on sacrifice, on ceremonial foods, cookery and the calendar, the Sabbath apart. It was, well, it was like a Muslim renouncing Islam. And it can be done by God's grace. When there's a clear view of the truth and a settled conviction about the truth and a knowledge that Jesus, Jesus of Nazareth, He is the Christ of God. No other save He. We can then turn our backs on the world, know His comforting presence and follow on come what may but when faith becomes confused when understanding becomes clouded and conviction begins to weaken then all the appeal the visible the temple the ritual formidable vestments all the imposing grandeur of that outward the imposing outward grandeur of that religion seems to outstrip and outshine that Jesus of Nazareth in a time of challenge Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever must be remembered and we must once again flee to him for refuge lay hold on that confession that we've made not give it up it's true it can't be falsified it may be denied it may be derided he was man of sorrows dismissed, despised so will we be but it's true it's heavenly it's everlasting it's certain so in our time of change however we describe it and in our time of challenge this is what we need yes to comfort us but also to confirm us to make us strong and steady and calm grateful and glad and joyful but what does Jesus Christ the same mean? something like this that Jesus will ever be the Christ you read the epistle to the Hebrews and the writer doesn't often refer to Jesus as Jesus Christ three places only talks of him about Jesus talks of him about but here where attention is being focused on the uniqueness of his mediation. Jesus Christ. Jesus is not just a Messiah so-called of which there were many. Judas and Theodos, they claimed that they were Messiahs. They enlisted a following. It all came to nothing. Acts 5 or 6. Jesus himself warned that prior to the fall of Jerusalem, false Christs, false prophets would arrive and deceive many. And that's been somewhat of a pattern down through the Christian era. Many messiahs, political messiahs. There's only one. There's only one. You don't need anyone else. Jesus is the Christ of God. The validity of a Messiah is not just how he can enlist a following from people, not just how he can present himself, but whether he's accepted as mediator before God. It's only God's Messiah who is of interest to us, of value to us. And Jesus, Jesus of Nazareth, Son of Mary, Carpenter's home, is the Messiah of God. Do you believe that? Do you have any doubt about it? Can you think of him as exclusively the all eternal son of God to whom was given this task of bringing the climactic revelation of God and accomplishing the salvation of God? He's Moses and Melchizedek par excellence. He's prophet, priest and king. He was appointed as such. And appointed by God in relation to His priesthood and His kingship. Appointed with an oath. With an oath. That means this. That God, immortal, invisible, in order to convince you and me, lays his own life on the line and says, as long as I live, not just you live, not just as long as this congregation continues, not just as long as the church is honest, but as long as the ever-living God never dies Jesus is his Christ his prophet priest and king he has an irreversible appointment and authorization but there's one other thing he has illimitable resources yesterday to your leaders what was he is he less today does he have less tomorrow here we've been drawing not from ceremonial foods and ritual sacrifice and so on we've been drawing out of the fullness of Jesus Christ are those resources depleted in the least through each and every one has been coming to him for pardon and cleansing for strength and wisdom not at all he always has the dew of his youth he is everlasting and his resources are endless there's more than enough there's more than enough for all in the world if as we heard the call to worship if all the earth as it should every single human being were to come at this moment to Jesus Christ his resources would not be put under the slightest strain he is infinite his truth remains heaven and earth will pass away his words will not pass away his atoning work lasts forever it does not, it cannot be repeated and as king he cannot be dethroned he will never ever leave nor forsake his people he is with each and every one of them not giving them part of his attention but the whole of his attentive care his eyes are on you each one his ears are open to your cry each one his heart's affection and love toward you each one each and everyone Jesus is not only or was not only the Christ to those who have gone before us he's our Christ today he'll be your Christ my Christ tomorrow all the way through the Jordan to our heavenly home and it will be the Christ there too forever Amen